2018 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE trailer

— Liftgate Open Warning Light
This indicator light will illuminate when the
liftgate is open.
NOTE:
If the vehicle is moving, there will also be a
single chime.
— Oil Pressure Warning Light
This warning light will illuminate to indicate
low engine oil pressure. If the light turns on
while driving, stop the vehicle and shut off
the engine as soon as possible. A chime will
sound when this light turns on.
Do not operate the vehicle until the cause is
corrected. This light does not indicate how
much oil is in the engine. The engine oil level
must be checked under the hood.
— Oil Temperature Warning Light
This telltale indicates engine oil temperature
is high. If the light turns on while driving,
stop the vehicle and shut off the engine as
soon as possible. Wait for oil temperature to
return to normal levels.
— Seat Belt Reminder Warning Light
This light indicates when the driver or pas-
senger seat belt is unbuckled. When the
ignition is first placed in the ON/RUN or
ACC/ON/RUN position and if the driver’s seat
belt is unbuckled, a chime will sound and the
light will turn on. When driving, if the driver
or front passenger seat belt remains unbuck-
led, the Seat Belt Reminder Light will flash or
remain on continuously and a chime will
sound. Refer to “Occupant Restraint Sys-
tems” in “Safety” for further information.
— Transmission Temperature Warning
Light — If Equipped
This light indicates high transmission fluid
temperature. This may occur with strenuous
usage such as trailer towing. If this light turns
on, stop the vehicle and run the engine at idle
or slightly faster, with the transmission in
PARK or NEUTRAL, until the light turns off.
Once the light turns off, you may continue to
drive normally.
WARNING!
If you continue operating the vehicle when
the Transmission Temperature Warning
Light is illuminated you could cause the
fluid to boil over, come in contact with hot
engine or exhaust components and cause a
fire.
CAUTION!
Continuous driving with the Transmission
Temperature Warning Light illuminated
will eventually cause severe transmission
damage or transmission failure.
— Vehicle Security Warning Light — If
Equipped
This light will flash at a fast rate for approxi-
mately 15 seconds when the vehicle security
alarm is arming, and then will flash slowly
until the vehicle is disarmed.
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If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” re-
mains on or comes on while driving, it indi-
cates that the anti-lock portion of the brake
system is not functioning and that service is
required. However, the conventional brake
system will continue to operate normally if
the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” is on.
If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning Light” is on,
the brake system should be serviced as soon
as possible to restore the benefits of anti-lock
brakes. If the “Anti-Lock Brake Warning
Light” does not come on when the ignition is
turned to the ON/RUN mode, have the light
repaired as soon as possible.
Electronic Brake Control System
Your vehicle is equipped with an advanced
Electronic Brake Control system (EBC). This
system includes Electronic Brake Force Dis-
tribution (EBD), Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), Brake Assist System (BAS), Hill Start
Assist (HSA), Traction Control System (TCS),
Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and Elec-
tronic Roll Mitigation (ERM). These systems
work together to enhance both vehicle stabil-
ity and control in various driving conditions.Your vehicle may also be equipped with
Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Ready Alert Brak-
ing (RAB), Rain Brake Support (RBS), Dy-
namic Steering Torque (DST), Hill Descent
Control (HDC), and Selec-Speed Control
(SSC).
Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD)
This function manages the distribution of the
braking torque between the front and rear
axles by limiting braking pressure to the rear
axle. This is done to prevent overslip of the
rear wheels to avoid vehicle instability, and to
prevent the rear axle from entering ABS be-
fore the front axle.
Brake System Warning Light
The red “Brake System Warning Light” will
turn on when the ignition is turned to the
ON/RUN mode and may stay on for as long as
four seconds.
If the “Brake System Warning Light” remains
on or comes on while driving, it indicates that
the brake system is not functioning properly
and that immediate service is required. If the“Brake System Warning Light” does not
come on when the ignition is turned to the
ON/RUN mode, have the light repaired as
soon as possible.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s
braking capability during emergency braking
maneuvers. The system detects an emer-
gency braking situation by sensing the rate
and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This
can help reduce braking distances. The BAS
complements the anti-lock brake system
(ABS). Applying the brakes very quickly re-
sults in the best BAS assistance. To receive
the benefit of the system, you must apply
continuous braking pressure during the stop-
ping sequence, (do not “pump” the brakes).
Do not reduce brake pedal pressure unless
braking is no longer desired. Once the brake
pedal is released, the BAS is deactivated.
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WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery
surfaces, or hydroplaning. The capabilities
of a BAS-equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous man-
ner, which could jeopardize the user's
safety or the safety of others.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to mitigate roll
back from a complete stop while on an in-
cline. If the driver releases the brake while
stopped on an incline, HSA will continue to
hold the brake pressure for a short period. If
the driver does not apply the throttle before
this time expires, the system will release
brake pressure and the vehicle will roll down
the hill as normal.The following conditions must be met in
order for HSA to activate:
• The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
• Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle up-
hill direction (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in
forward gear; vehicle backing uphill is in
REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all
forward gears. The system will not activate
if the transmission is in PARK or NEU-
TRAL. For vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA
will remain active.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill
Start Assist (HSA) will not activate and
slight rolling may occur, such as on minor
hills or with a loaded vehicle, or while
pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
WARNING!
active driving involvement. It is always the
driver’s responsibility to be attentive to
distance to other vehicles, people, and
objects, and most importantly brake op-
eration to ensure safe operation of the
vehicle under all road conditions. Your
complete attention is always required
while driving to maintain safe control of
your vehicle. Failure to follow these warn-
ings can result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off.
To change the current setting, proceed as
follows:
• If disabling HSA using your instrument
cluster display, refer to “Instrument Cluster
Display” in “Getting To Know Your Instru-
ment Panel” for further information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings,
refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Multime-
dia” for further information.
SAFETY
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For vehicles not equipped with an instrument
cluster display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels
pointing straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more
than one-half turn to the left.
6. Push the “ESC Off” button located in the
lower switch bank below the climate con-
trol four times within 20 seconds. The
“ESC Off Indicator Light” should turn on
and turn off two times.
7. Rotate the steering wheel back to center
and then an additional slightly more than
one-half turn to the right.
8. Turn the ignition to the OFF mode and
then back to ON. If the sequence was
completed properly, the “ESC Off Indica-
tor Light” will blink several times to con-
firm HSA is disabled.
9. Repeat these steps if you want to return
this feature to its previous setting.Towing With HSA
HSA will also provide assistance to mitigate
roll back while towing a trailer.
WARNING!
• If you use a trailer brake controller with
your trailer, the trailer brakes may be
activated and deactivated with the brake
switch. If so, there may not be enough
brake pressure to hold both the vehicle
and the trailer on a hill when the brake
pedal is released. In order to avoid roll-
ing down an incline while resuming ac-
celeration, manually activate the trailer
brake or apply more vehicle brake pres-
sure prior to releasing the brake pedal.
• HSA is not a parking brake. Always apply
the parking brake fully when exiting your
vehicle. Also, be certain to place the
transmission in PARK.
• Failure to follow these warnings can re-
sult in a collision or serious personal
injury.
Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel
spin of each of the driven wheels. If wheel
spin is detected, the TCS may apply brake
pressure to the spinning wheel(s) and/or re-
duce engine power to provide enhanced ac-
celeration and stability. A feature of the TCS,
Brake Limited Differential (BLD), functions
similar to a limited slip differential and con-
trols the wheel spin across a driven axle. If
one wheel on a driven axle is spinning faster
than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow
more engine torque to be applied to the wheel
that is not spinning. BLD may remain en-
abled even if TCS and ESC are in a reduced
mode.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and
stability of the vehicle under various driving
conditions. ESC corrects for oversteering or
understeering of the vehicle by applying the
brake of the appropriate wheel(s) to assist in
counteracting the oversteer or understeer
condition. Engine power may also be reduced
to help the vehicle maintain the desired path.
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should be used for most driving conditions.
Alternate ESC modes should only be used for
specific reasons as noted in the following
paragraphs.
Partial Off
The “Partial Off” mode is intended for times
when a more spirited driving experience is
desired. This mode may modify TCS and ESC
thresholds for activation, which allows for
more wheel spin than normally allowed. This
mode may be useful if the vehicle becomes
stuck.
To enter the “Partial Off” mode, momentarily
push the “ESC Off” switch and the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will illuminate. To turn the
ESC on again, momentarily push the “ESC
Off” switch and the “ESC Off Indicator Light”
will turn off.
NOTE:
For vehicles with multiple partial ESC modes
a momentary button push will toggle the ESC
mode. Multiple momentary button pushed
may be required to return to ESC On.WARNING!
• When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS
functionality of ESC, (except for the lim-
ited slip feature described in the TCS
section), has been disabled and the
“ESC Off Indicator Light” will be illumi-
nated. When in “Partial Off” mode, the
engine power reduction feature of TCS is
disabled, and the enhanced vehicle sta-
bility offered by the ESC system is re-
duced.
• Trailer Sway control (TSC) is disabled
when the ESC system is in the “Partial
Off” mode.
Full Off — If Equipped
This mode is intended for off-highway or
off-road use only and should not be used on
any public roadways. In this mode, TCS and
ESC features are turned OFF. To enter the
“Full Off” mode, push and hold the “ESC
Off” switch for five seconds while the vehicle
is stopped with the engine running. After five
seconds, a chime will sound, the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will illuminate, and the“ESC OFF” message will display in the in-
strument cluster. To turn ESC ON again,
momentarily push the “ESC Off” switch.
NOTE:
System may switch from ESC “Full Off” to
“Partial Off” mode when vehicle exceeds a
predetermined speed. When the vehicle
speed slows below the predetermined speed
the system will return to ESC “Full Off”.
“Full Off” can only be achieved in Track
Mode if so equipped.
ESC modes may also be affected by drive
modes if so equipped.
WARNING!
• In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine
torque reduction and stability features
are disabled. Therefore, enhanced ve-
hicle stability offered by the ESC system
is unavailable. In an emergency evasive
maneuver, the ESC system will not en-
gage to assist in maintaining stability.
ESC “Full Off” mode is intended for
off-highway or off-road use only.
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brake and may also reduce engine power to
lessen the chance that wheel lift will occur.
ERM can only reduce the chance of wheel lift
occurring during severe or evasive driving
maneuvers; it cannot prevent wheel lift due to
other factors, such as road conditions, leav-
ing the roadway, or striking objects or other
vehicles.
NOTE:
ERM is disabled anytime the ESC is in “Full
Off” mode (if equipped). Refer to “Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)” in this section for a
complete explanation of the available ESC
modes.
WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading,
road conditions and driving conditions,
influence the chance that wheel lift or
rollover may occur. ERM cannot prevent all
wheel lift or roll overs, especially those
that involve leaving the roadway or striking
objects or other vehicles. The capabilities
WARNING!
of an ERM-equipped vehicle must never
be exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner which could jeopardize the user's
safety or the safety of others.
Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize
an excessively swaying trailer and will take
the appropriate actions to attempt to stop the
sway. TSC will become active automatically
once an excessively swaying trailer is recog-
nized.
NOTE:
TSC cannot stop all trailers from swaying.
Always use caution when towing a trailer and
follow the trailer tongue weight recommenda-
tions. Refer to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting
And Operating” for further information.
When TSC is functioning, the “ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light” will
flash, the engine power may be reduced andyou may feel the brakes being applied to
individual wheels to attempt to stop the
trailer from swaying. TSC is disabled when
the ESC system is in the “Partial Off” or “Full
Off” modes.
WARNING!
If TSC activates while driving, slow the
vehicle down, stop at the nearest safe
location, and adjust the trailer load to
eliminate trailer sway.
Ready Alert Braking (RAB)
Ready Alert Braking may reduce the time
required to reach full braking during emer-
gency braking situations. It anticipates when
an emergency braking situation may occur by
monitoring how fast the throttle is released by
the driver. The EBC will prepare the brake
system for a panic stop.
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Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
NOTE:
For vehicles equipped with run flat tires —
when the TPMS indicates a tire pressure of
14 psi (96 kPa) or lower, always check tire
pressure and replace the tire at the first
opportunity. At inflation pressure of/or below
14 psi (96 kPa) the tire is in the run-flat
mode of operation. In this condition, it is
recommended a vehicle maximum speed of
50 mph (80 km/h) for a maximum distance of
50 miles (80 km). The manufacturer does not
recommend using the run flat feature while
driving a vehicle loaded at full capacity or
towing a trailer.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
will warn the driver of a low tire pressure
based on the vehicle recommended cold tire
pressure.
The tire pressure will vary with temperature
by about 1 psi (7 kPa) for every 12°F (6.5°C).
This means that when the outside tempera-
ture decreases, the tire pressure will de-
crease. Tire pressure should always be set
based on cold inflation tire pressure. This is
defined as the tire pressure after the vehiclehas not been driven for at least three hours, or
driven less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after a
three-hour period.Refer to “Tires” in “Servic-
ing And Maintenance” for information on how to
properly inflate the vehicle’s tires.The tire
pressure will also increase as the vehicle is
driven - this is normal and there should be no
adjustment for this increased pressure.
The TPMS will warn the driver of a low tire
pressure if the tire pressure falls below the
low pressure warning threshold for any rea-
son, including low temperature effects, or
natural pressure loss through the tire.
The TPMS will continue to warn the driver of
low tire pressure as long as the condition
exists, and will not turn off until the tire
pressure is at or above recommended cold
tire pressure. Once the low tire pressure
warning has been illuminated, the tire pres-
sure must be increased to the recommended
cold tire pressure in order for the Tire Pres-
sure Monitoring Telltale Light to be turned
off.NOTE:
When filling warm tires, the tire pressure may
need to be increased up to an additional 4 psi
(28 kPa) above the recommended cold plac-
ard pressure in order to turn the Tire Pressure
Monitoring Telltale Light off.
The system will automatically update and the
Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light will
extinguish once the updated tire pressures
have been received. The vehicle may need to
be driven for up to 10 minutes above 15 mph
(24 km/h) to receive this information.
For example, your vehicle has a recom-
mended cold (parked for more than three
hours) tire pressure of 33 psi (227 kPa). If
the ambient temperature is 68°F (20°C) and
the measured tire pressure is 28 psi
(193 kPa), a temperature drop to 20°F (-7°C)
will decrease the tire pressure to approxi-
mately 24 psi (165 kPa). This tire pressure is
sufficiently low enough to turn on the Tire
Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light. Driving
the vehicle may cause the tire pressure to rise
to approximately 28 psi (193 kPa), but the
Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light will
still be on. In this situation, the Tire Pressure
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Setting A Desired Speed..........166
Varying The Speed.............166
To Resume..................168
Deactivation.................168
Setting The Following Distance......168
ACC Operation At Stop...........169
Changing Modes..............169
PARKSENSE REAR PARK ASSIST. .170
ParkSense Sensors.............170
Activation/Deactivation ParkSense. . . .170
Instrument Cluster Display........171
ParkSense System Usage Precautions . .171
PARKSENSE FRONT AND REAR
PARKASSIST...............172
ParkSense Sensors.............172
Activation/Deactivation...........173
Engagement/Disengagement.......173
Operation With A Trailer..........173
General Warnings..............173
PARKSENSE ACTIVE PARK ASSIST
SYSTEM — IF EQUIPPED......174
LANESENSE................175
LaneSense Operation............175
Turning LaneSense On Or Off.......176
PARKVIEW REAR BACK-UP CAM-
ERA .....................176
Symbols And Messages On The Display .176
REFUELING THE VEHICLE — GASO-
LINE ENGINE...............177
Emergency Fuel Filler Door Release . . .178
REFUELING THE VEHICLE — DIE-
SEL ENGINE................179
Avoid Using Contaminated Fuel.....181
Bulk Fuel Storage — Diesel Fuel. . . .181
Diesel Exhaust Fluid............181
TRAILER TOWING...........185
Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) — Non SRT.......185
Trailer Towing Weights (Maximum Trailer
Weight Ratings) — SRT..........187
Trailer Hitch Receiver Cover Removal
(Summit Models) — If Equipped.....188
Trailer Hitch Receiver Cover Removal (SRT
Models) — If Equipped..........189
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)..........191
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another
Vehicle....................191
Recreational Towing-Two Wheel Drive
Models....................192
Recreational Towing — Quadra-Trac I
(Single-Speed Transfer Case) Four-Wheel
Drive Models.................192
Recreational Towing — Quadra–Trac
II/Quadra–Drive II Four-Wheel Drive
Models....................193
STARTING AND OPERATING
136